Mute for stringed instruments.



D. E. HARTNETT.

MUTE FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1913.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

D. E. HARTNETT.

MUTE FOR STRINGED iNSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25.1913. 1,177,184 Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

iwenl'oi W H 01 DENNIS E. HARTNETT, 0F NEV YORK, N. Y.

MUTE FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS...

Application filed July 25, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS E. HARTNETT,

of New York, in the county of New York and in the Stateof New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mutes for Stringed Instruments, and do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to mute which are adapted to be applied toall plectrum and bowed instruments.

The object of my invention is to provide a mute which is arranged so as to be capable of being thrown into and out of position without interruption in the playing ofthe instrument, and which is so constructed that it is at all times in a position in which it cannot interfere with the operation of the instrument. The construction is such furthermore that a new string can be readily inserted without removing the mute. F urthermore when adjusted to the rear of the bridge it does not diminish the tone.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mute which may be readily applied to instruments having bridges of diflerent thicknesses, and which is so arranged that the volume of sound may be controlled from a point where an artistic effect is to be produced, to a point .where it is desired to suppress practically all of the sound. This is a positive advantage as it facilitates acquiring the technique of notation in music, that is to say, learning how to play music, when used with the developercovered by my Patent No. 1,047,217, granted December17, 1912. While my invention is capable ofbeing embodied in many different types of apparatus, I have, for the purposes of illustration, shown only one form of my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of an instrument equipped with a mute showing the mute in operative position; Fig. 2 1s a smaller v ewof the same'showing the mute moved to its 1ntermediate position when temporarily out of operation; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the mute moved to a point over the lower ends of the strings, the positionv in which the mute is not to be used during the playing 'of a selection; Fig. 4c is a side elevation enlarged of the lower portion of the instrument, showing the parts in the same pos tlon as in Fig. 2;'Fig. 5 is a plan view enlarged of the mute detached; Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the same on line 6 6'of Fig. 5;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28,1916.

Serial No. 781,058.

and Fig. 7 is a plan view of a mute made in accordance with my invention and adapted to be used-in connection with bowed instruments.

In the drawings, I have shown a mandolin 1 having a bridge 2 and a series of'strings 3. The lower ends of the strings 3 are protected by means of a casing or cover 4. To an instrument of this character I apply a mute 5 made in accordance with my invention. Th s mute 5 comprises a body 6 made preferably of a single piece of sheet metal. This lS'bGIlfi in. a form so as to provide a transverse upper plate 7 ,and two sides 8. Each of'the sides 8 has a rear tapered portion 9 having a plurality of notches 10 for receiving a shaft 11 of a rubber roller 12. The side portions 6 at the front are reduced in width to produce narrow members 13having notches 14 to receive an axle 15 of a rubber roller 16. At their lower edges the side portions 6 are also provided with hooks 17 to receive, the axle 18 of'a rubber roller 19."

It will be seen from Fig. 5"that the rollers 12, 16 and 19 are of different sizes, one being smaller than the other in the order named. By this means a great many different degrees of pressure may be obtained on the strings by interchanging the positions of the rollers, in'the several positions provided in the mute for receiving the same. In fact, by interchanging the positions of the rollers twenty-seven different degrees of pressure can be obtained. The rubber rollers 12, 16 and 19 are of different sizes so that different degrees of pressure may be obtained by'substituting one for another. Furthermore, the

rear tapered members '9 having notches 10 provide a means for increasing the pressure by moving the rubber. roller 12 to one of the notches located nearer to the center of the mute. When therubberroller is supported in'the notches lOlocated at the extreme rear of the device, artistic effects are obtained,

while with the movement of the roller to the the rear of the instrument, and this can readily be accomplished without interfering with theplaying of the selection. When so moved the bridge occupies a position with the roller 16 just in the rear of the bridge 2. If it should be desired to dispense with the use of the mute altogether, it may be moved downwardly over the casing l or the lower ends of the strings. The mute can be moved into and out of position on the instrument silently while playing. This is preferably done where rests occur in the music or at the end of phrases or strains.

' The modification of my invention shown in Fig. 7 is adapted for application to bowed instruments. This modification is constructed in the same manner as the mute shown in Fig. 5, except that a different form of roller is used. In this modification of my invention, I make use of three separate roller devices 20, 21 and 22. Each of the roller devices is arranged to be interchangeable in the many different positions contained upon the mute 5, and I make the three roller devices 20, 21 and 22 of three different sizes so that by interchanging the same in the three different positions upon the mute 5, I may obtain twenty-seven different degrees of pressure upon the strings. Each of these roller devices comprises a bent rod 23 having flanges 24 upon its end to retain in place a plurality of separate and independent rollers 25. Each of the rollers 25, of which there are a sufficient number so that one of the rollers may be applied to each of the strings upon the instrument, is loosely'pivoted upon the rod 23 and has a concave periphery so as to be retained in place upon the string to which it is applied. This modification of my invention operates in general in the same manner as the modification of my invention previously described, except that the mute when supplied with rollers of this kind is to be applied to a bowed instrument instead of a plectrum instrument.

While I have described my invention above in detail, it is to be understood that many changes may be madetherein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A damping device for plucked and bow instruments having strings, comprising an intermediate engaging roller and two end engaging rollers to partially suppress the sound, wholly and movably supported by the strings and engaging the vibratory portions of the strings. p 2. A damping device for stringed instruments, comprising two end engaging rollers, and an intermediate engaging roller wholly supported by the strings, the intermediate one below and the others above the strings,

and engaging the vibratory portions of the strings to partially suppress the sound.

3. A damping device for stringed instruments, comprising two end engaging rollers, and an intermediate engaging roller wholly supported by the strings, the intermediate one below and the others above the strings, and engaging the vibratory portions of the strings to partially suppress the .sound, all three rollers being of different sizes, and being located unequal distances from one another.

4. A damping device for plucked and bow instruments having strings, comprising an intermediate engaging roller and two end engaging rollers to partially suppress the sound, wholly and movably supported by the strings and engagin the vibratory portions of the strings, one of the rollers being adjustable to adjust the distance of the intermediate roller to and from the planes of the other two rollers.

5. A damping device for stringed instruments, comprising two end engaging rollers, and an intermediate engaging roller wholly supported by the strings, the intermediate one below and the other above the strings, and engaging the vibratory portions of the strings to partially suppress the sound, one of the rollers being adjustable to adjust the distance of the intermediate roller to and from the plane of the other two rollers.

6. A damping device for stringed instruments, comprising two end engaging rollers, and an intermediate engaging roller wholly supported by the strings, the intermediate one below and the others above the strings, and engaging the vibratory portions of the strings to partially suppress the sound, all three rollers being of different sizes, and being located unequal distances from one another, one of the rollers being adjustable to adjust the distance of the intermediate roller to and from the plane of the other two rollers.

7. A damping device for plucked and bow instruments comprising two end string engaging rollers and an intermediate string engaging roller all of which are located on different parallel axes.

8. A damping device for plucked and bow instruments comprising two end engaging rollers and an intermediate engaging roller all of which are located on different parallel axes, the intermediate roller having its axis located in a different plane from the plane of the axes of the two end rollers.

9. A damping device for plucked and bow instruments comprising two end engaging rollers and an intermediate engaging roller all of which are located on different parallel axes, the intermediate roller having its axis locatedin a different plane from the plane of the axes of the two end rollers, all said rollers being of different sizes and located at unequal distances from one another.

10. A damping device for plucked and plane of the axes of the two end rollers,

means for the adjustment of one of the rollers to adjust the distance of the axis of the intermediate roller to and from the plane of the axes of the other two rollers.

12. A damping device for plucked and bow instruments comprising two end engaging rollers and an intermediate engaging roller all of which are located on different parallel axes, the intermediate roller having its axis located in a different plane from the plane of the axes ofthe two end rollers, all said rollers being of difierent sizes and located at unequal distances from one another, means for the adjustment of one of the rollers to adjust the distance of the axis of the intermediate roller to and from the plane of the axes of the other two rollers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

DENNIS E. HARTNETT.

WVitnesses:

ARTHUR WRIGHT, L. BRODERIGK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eah, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

